PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -

Senior Bakari Copeland (Decatur, Georgia) learned a few things in Friday's season-opening loss at George Washington. Going toe-to-toe with 2015-16 Second-Team All-A-10 Team performer Tyler Cavenaugh was his first taste of being the team's primary scorer and he responded with 21 points.

Headed into Sunday's (Nov. 13) home tilt with University of Maryland Baltimore County at 4 p.m., he'll be looking to do even better.

He learned there is a fine line between physical and too aggressive as he fouled out with nearly five minutes remaining. But he also found out that to be successful this small Eastern Shore roster is going to have to play bigger than they are.

"We knew we had to be physical," Copeland said. "We should have been physical in the first half and then we wouldn't have been in that position we were in. Better late than never, but we knew we needed to by physical with them."

Most importantly, after watching his teammates cut the Colonials lead to just four before falling 75-71, he learned something else.

"I learned that we have a lot of heart," Copeland said. "And I learned that our bench is deeper than I thought it would be. Every guy on our bench fights, so teams in the future I feel like are really in trouble because we have a fully loaded team."

While the Hawks struggled on the boards getting outrebounded 41-30, the won the turnover battle 10-20, got at least six points from seven different players and 21 points from the bench.

But it was Copeland who led the way scoring 14 of his 21 points in the second half, several on the baseline and from the wings forcing the bigger Cavenaugh to decide whether to challenge the shot as he drained long jumpers.

"I tried to up my game instead of being one dimensional like last year, which was just getting to the rack," Copeland said. "I know for me to get to the rack I'm going to have to make people respect my jump shot. I've been working on it a lot so I can hit it. It they back off I'm going to knock it down. If they play up, I'm going to drive."

When the team pressed in the second half, Copeland at 6-foot-6 and fellow team leader Derrico Peck (Atlanta, Georgia) at 6-7, where the biggest players on the court for The Shore. Peck became a menace in the passing lanes while the team pressed full-court and provided quite the spark during the team's second-half run.

"That is what we have been working on this whole offseason and the summer, so it was nothing that we didn't expect," Copeland said. "Me and Rico were ready for that."

The consensus on Friday seemed to be that the game was a big step for the Hawks toward showing they can compete this season, but it left them feeling like they wanted a chance to prove they could win.

That chance comes pretty quickly.

UMBC (1-0) opened the season with a win against Hood where junior Jarius Lyles scored 18 points. Lyles and sophomore Rodney Elliott torched the Hawks in last year's 89-76 loss at UMBC putting up a combined 46 points 11 rebounds and 11 assists. In that game, senior forward Will Darley was 8-of-8 from the field.

The Retreivers are in their first season under head coach Ryan Odom, the son of Dave Odom, who retired in 2008 as the head coach at South Carolina.

Hawks coach Bobby Collins described the Retrievers as "scrappy" and he know they can't be overlooked. "They shoot the ball as well as George Washington does and they can shoot it one through five'" he said. "We are going to have our work cut out. Hopefully we'll have the home-court advantage and our fans come out and support us."

UMBC leads the all-time series 5-2, but the Hawks hold a 2-1 advantage at the William P. Hytche Center.

All games can be heard locally on Fox Sports Radio 960 AM WTGM or on www.EasternShoreHawks.com. Will DeBoer and David Byrd will have the call Sunday on the Hawks Sports Radio Network.

Season tickets for the 2016-2017 season are on sale now starting at just $125, for all men's and women's home games. Did you know that a purchasing a season ticket helps all sports at Maryland Eastern Shore, not just basketball? To purchase season tickets, click here. For more information about the 1ticKet Drive, log on to the web at easternshorehawks.com or call 410-651-6499. It's time to show your #HawkPride!